The Regent community congratulates third year law students Efrem Craig and Tiffany Verdell who advanced past teams from Boston University and the University of Virginia to win the 2010 National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA) International Negotiation Competition held March 12-14 in Boston, MA.They scored 98 out of 100 in the final round.
NBLSA’s International Negotiation Competition (INC) is designed to hone the negotiation skills vital to a legal career while fostering an awareness of timely issues facing the global community. The winning team successfully negotiates real-life, cross-border conflicts over multiple 80 minute competition rounds.
Craig and Verdell’s championship win hinged upon their renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement in the final round. As is the norm for the INC, they literally prepared their strategy overnight.
“The final round was definitely the toughest,” Craig said. “The goal of our preparation was to fully understand the intricacies of the issue and gain a working knowledge of the positions of all parties. We did extensive online research and preparation, and also spent significant time ironing out the precise wording we wanted to use.”
“It was a wonderful experience and an honor to be competing at the national level,” Verdell said. “When our school’s name was called as the winners I felt an overwhelming sense of joy and thankfulness to God and all the people that helped get us here.”
“Being recognized for an achievement in a room full of professional, intelligent individuals was very humbling,” Craig added. “It was not as if we had dominated the competition in such a way that we knew that we had won, so it was still very much a surprise. I know that the glory belongs to God.”
Regent’s teams are two-for-two in winning the NBLSA International Negotiation Competition, with Efrem Craig’s brother Ari Craig and teammate Brenda Thorn bringing home the 2008 championship. Regent did not field a team in 2009.
Craig and Verdell wish to thank NBLSA chair Jadinah Sejour along with BLSA’s board and members as well as Alternative Dispute Resolution Board chair Grace Pandithurai for their assistance in competition preparation and for their prayerful support; and Professors Nelson and Degroff for the opportunity to learn the negotiation skills vital to their success.
NBLSA’s International Negotiation Competition (INC) is designed to hone the negotiation skills vital to a legal career while fostering an awareness of timely issues facing the global community. The winning team successfully negotiates real-life, cross-border conflicts over multiple 80 minute competition rounds.
Craig and Verdell’s championship win hinged upon their renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement in the final round. As is the norm for the INC, they literally prepared their strategy overnight.
“The final round was definitely the toughest,” Craig said. “The goal of our preparation was to fully understand the intricacies of the issue and gain a working knowledge of the positions of all parties. We did extensive online research and preparation, and also spent significant time ironing out the precise wording we wanted to use.”
“It was a wonderful experience and an honor to be competing at the national level,” Verdell said. “When our school’s name was called as the winners I felt an overwhelming sense of joy and thankfulness to God and all the people that helped get us here.”
“Being recognized for an achievement in a room full of professional, intelligent individuals was very humbling,” Craig added. “It was not as if we had dominated the competition in such a way that we knew that we had won, so it was still very much a surprise. I know that the glory belongs to God.”
Regent’s teams are two-for-two in winning the NBLSA International Negotiation Competition, with Efrem Craig’s brother Ari Craig and teammate Brenda Thorn bringing home the 2008 championship. Regent did not field a team in 2009.
Craig and Verdell wish to thank NBLSA chair Jadinah Sejour along with BLSA’s board and members as well as Alternative Dispute Resolution Board chair Grace Pandithurai for their assistance in competition preparation and for their prayerful support; and Professors Nelson and Degroff for the opportunity to learn the negotiation skills vital to their success.